Ripley, TN – A Lauderdale County sheriff’s deputy was shot twice in her face and head by the estranged father of her child on Sunday, according to investigators.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Brian Kelley said the incident occurred at the home of Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Deputy Jereka Maclin in the early-morning hours of June 18.

The father of Deputy Maclin’s child, La’Rico Farmer, allegedly entered the off-duty deputy’s home and made his way to the bedroom she shares with their young child, Sheriff Kelley said in a press release.

The sheriff said Farmer then “shot her in the head and face two times with a 40-caliber firearm” and fled the scene, leaving Deputy Maclin “fighting for her life.”

Investigators said Farmer later crashed his vehicle in Dyer County and was ultimately tracked down at a home in Trenton as the result of a multiagency search.

Sheriff Kelley said Farmer took his own life before law enforcement officers could apprehend him.

He said Farmer received help from Eric Claybrooks while he was on the run, which enabled Farmer to get out of Dyer County and over to Trenton.

Claybrooks has since been arrested on a slew of charges.

Deputy Maclin remained hospitalized with severe injuries, but is expected to survive.

“Deputy Maclin’s grit, strength and will to live are second to none as she is alert and recovering at the Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, TN,” Sheriff Kelley said. “Though her injuries are severe and her journey is far from over, she is expected to recover fully.”

Her condition was listed as “critical but stable” on Tuesday, WHBQ reported.

Deputy Maclin, a single mother-of-one, currently serving as a school resource officer (SRO) and is scheduled to graduate from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy on June 23.

Sheriff Kelley said the young deputy has a “passion for helping the youth of Lauderdale County,” which was why she aspired to become an SRO.

The sheriff praised the “unprecedented” collaboration between law enforcement agencies during the search for Farmer.

“When the call come out, agencies from across West Tennessee quickly came together to ensure that justice was brought to such a brutal and senseless crime,” he said.